Lucky locks on our first cruise of the year

Thursday 16^th April; Droitwich Spa Marina to Astwood top lock/bridge 41

For various reasons our first cruise this year is rather later than usual, but here we are.  We didn’t leave the marina till gone 3, wondering whether there would be any volunteers on Hanbury duty – they usually knock off at 4, earlier if it’s quiet.  A boat had left the marina just ahead of us so we knew the locks would be against us.  But that was to our advantage as the lockies, just about to pack up and go home, had spotted them just in time, and luckily saw us too in time to set the second lock for us.  I had hardly any work to do after closing up the first lock.

A new lead with an extra securing clip for easy attaching to a lock beam.  Bonjour is in the lock but I can't open the top paddles until the side pond water has been used to partly fill the lock.

Jess was excited to be cruising at last, bouncing around and desperate to be on the towpath.  With the fast road alongside the Hanbury locks she has to be on the lead at all times - here she has her eye on a squirrel.  But she had plenty of fuss from the lockies – five of them!

Second lock; 4 lockies visible and one more at the bottom lock behind me

The lockie not in the picture was filling the side pond from the full lock, as that lock leaks badly and this would avoid wastage.  We were their seventh (and final) boat of the day.  But we had gone up the flight so quickly that it was still only four o’clock, so rather than moor below the Astwood fight as we often do, we went up.  The locks were all empty so it didn’t take long, especially as a hire boat coming up behind us closed a couple of the top gates for us.  They were surprised we appeared to be going faster than them (with their two crew) even though we are a great deal older!  But we have our system, which still works efficiently, in spite of our creaky joints.

Astwood lock cottage gnomes present and correct

The weather stayed dry and not too cold, and we were moored up by 5.30.  The hire boat was due to hand over tomorrow so went on to get a bit closer to base at Stoke Prior.  They had done the Stourport ring in a week and had a great time.

Astwood Top Lock

We moored a few hundred yards beyond the top lock, with a good open view across fields before the canal passes through a long built-up stretch.

9 locks, 2¾ miles